Members of Redford Township’s Board of Trustees unanimously passed a resolution Tuesday evening urging the state Legislature to repeal Michigan’s 2011 fireworks law – and they hope other communities will join them.

After a noisy Fourth of July weekend he described as not fit for man nor beast, township Clerk Garth Christie has been asking people to sign an online petition against the law as it stands now. Since he started his campaign he said he has heard many more complaints and horror stories about the use of fireworks in the township.

“It just reinforces my belief that this product is inappropriate in a densely populated area,” he said.

In 2011, the legislature adopted Public Act 256, which allows for the purchase and use of exploding fireworks which were previously illegal in Michigan, including bottle rockets, sky rockets and reloadable shell devices.

The township’s resolution will be sent to members of the Eight Mile Boulevard Association and the Conference of Western Wayne in the hopes of gathering more support.

During a study session before the regular meeting Tuesday, trustees brainstormed for possible ways the township could regulate fireworks sales and use, but found there really aren’t any.

Can’t regulate

Trustee Jay Johnson suggested an ordinance requiring a permit to use them in Redford, but township attorney Jeff Clark told him that would be trying to regulate them and the law prohibits local governments from regulating them.

“It’s a great idea,” he said, but the law precludes regulating fireworks use on the day before, the day of and the day after a legal holiday.

Ironically, professional fireworks displays have to obtain a permit from the township, but residents don’t, Johnson said.

“We’ve always had problems with fireworks. The problem now is there are bigger booms,” Clark said. “This is what the state legislature did to us.”

The concept was to allow fireworks sales to bring in more money to the state, but that doesn’t appear to be the windfall they expected, he said.

‘Really didn’t care’

“Is there any way for us to limit where they shoot off fireworks?” Treasurer Lily Cavanagh asked.

But Clark said ordinances prohibit shooting fireworks in public places such as parks and allow their use on private property.

Trustee Patricia Kennedy related that some people were shooting fireworks in Handy Park recently and that neighbors tried to talk to them and they “got very nasty.”

“They really didn’t care,” she said.

Christie said he was out “on patrol” the night of July 4 into the morning of July 5 and saw large fireworks parties that included people setting off fireworks in the middle of the street.

Christie said he also saw people shooting off fireworks in the Hilbert Middle School parking lot and a church lot.

“All of those were illegal. Our police department should be able to shut that down, shouldn’t they?” Christie said.

The Fourth of July fell on a weekend and staffing was lower for the holiday, Pahl said. Other calls pushed fireworks to the bottom of the list, he said.

Enforcement issue

“Should citizens take pictures?” Christie asked.

“There might be a confrontation,” Pahl said.

“What if a resident were able to take a picture from a safe place, such as their front window, is there anything you can do with that?” township Supervisor Tracey Schultz Kobylarz said.

Pahl said he would have to check with the township prosecutor.

Kobylarz questioned whether police have to actually see a person light a firework before issuing a ticket.

“Essentially, yes,” Pahl said.

But even if one or two are ticketed, there are still thousands more out there shooting fireworks illegally, he said.

“I feel like your hands are tied and so are ours,” Kobylarz said.

It’s always been an enforcement issue, Clark said.

Prohibiting tent sales of fireworks was also suggested, but that would mean prohibiting tent sales for other businesses and at events such as Relay for Life. “You would have to limit all tents,” Clark said.

“They could just rent a storefront,” Department of Public Services Director John Selmi said of fireworks companies.